


Welcome to the Circus

by theunseeliemperoress



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics)
Genre: (both the movie and the book), (sort of), Abuse, Body Horror, Disfigurement, Gen, Human Experimentation, Missing Persons, Police Officer Dick Grayson, Torture, brain washing, partially inspired by something wicked this way comes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-16
Updated: 2019-07-07
Packaged: 2019-11-19 12:22:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18135701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theunseeliemperoress/pseuds/theunseeliemperoress
Summary: While investigating a missing persons case Dick learns the circus has come to Bludhaven. Thinking it could be a fun bonding experience he decided to bring his siblings to see the show. But thing's go very wrong when Tim disappears without a trace.Realising something is very wrong with this place Dick's search for his little brother leads him into a world that seems more like a nightmare than anything else.





	1. Chapter 1

Officer Richard John Grayson, Dick to his friends, and his enemies, and those he’d just met, stared up at the vast blue tent that stood before him. It seemed smaller than any circus tent he’d seen before yet its presence was so large.   
“So, we going in or what?” Dick glanced at his partner blue eyes meeting dark brown.   
“You really think this is the place to start?” he asked.   
“Sure. The girl was last seen wandering ‘round here late last night. This,” he gestured at the circus tent and surrounding carnival, “was put up last night. It’s unlikely not one of these people saw anything.” Dick nodded turning his attention to the train that sat silently on its tracks. That wasn’t right, Dick thought. Circus trains shouldn’t be silent, not at this time in the morning. But no matter how long he starred not a single shadow passed the windows.   
“It’s too quiet.” His voice came out in a loud whisper.  
“It’s still early. Here you check the train I’ll look in the tent. See if we can find the Ring Master.” Nodding silently Dick made his way towards the train. It was the oldest train he’d ever seen yet it seemed timeless. Dick raised an arm to knock on one of the doors when it swung open. Standing in the doorway was a girl a little older than him. She would have been beautiful with her auburn hair and her pale grey eyes and her plump frame. However the cold emptiness of her eyes made him feel so uneasy it took away any thoughts of beauty. Once he had recovered a little from her eyes he realised she wore a mask over her nose and mouth. Is she sick? he thought.   
"Hello sorry to bother you miss. But we’re looking for a missing girl. Can I speak to whoever’s in charge?” The girl stared at him silent and unblinking.   
“Are you ok? Can you talk?” Still nothing. It was as if she was frozen in a single second. Unable to move forward or back.   
“Molly! Why are you standing there?” A man appeared in the door just behind Molly. He was tall, his head pressing the carriage roof, with shoulder length wavy raven black hair and eyes like coal. He was dressed in an emerald green tailcoat and wore gold rings on every finger. His face was aged but there was something youthful about the way he held himself and his eyes seemed ageless. He was as strange and timeless as a ringmaster should be.   
“Oh good morning officer how can I help you?”   
“Hello Dr Phebos?” The ringmaster nodded confirming that his names was the one printed on the posters.   
“I’m sorry to bother you but we’re looking for a little girl. She went missing last night.” Dr Phebos frowned.   
“I hope you don’t think we’re responsible.” Dick shook his head.   
“Oh no I would never jump to a conclusion like that. It’s just we know you arrived late last night and well we’re hoping someone saw something.”  
“We?”   
“Yes my partner is also here. He went into the tent to see if he could find anyone.” Dr Phebos nodded then turned to Molly.   
“Molly my dear please go find officer…” he looked over at Dick.  
“Grayson.”   
“Officer Grayson’s colleague and bring him to my carriage.” Without a word Molly jumped out of the train and made her way to the tent.   
“Please follow me.” Mr Phebos lead him through the train to the carriage nearest the train. It’s so small, Dick thought. Our carriage was bigger than this. Then he shook his head. No it wasn’t bigger, I was smaller.   
“Is she ok?” Dick asked the ringmaster as he took a seat on the old red recliner that was the rooms only furniture not including the bed and an old chest, which Dick assumed was where he kept his clothes. “Molly I mean.”

“Oh yes perfectly fine. Well the poor dear has quite the affliction, but we give her the best quality of life we can.”   
“Affliction?” Dr Phebos smiled sadly.  
 “She was born without a mouth. Poor dear has to eat through a tube in her neck.” Dick froze. Born with no mouth. Was that even possible? It could be. Weren’t people born with missing limbs all the time? Who was to say the same couldn’t happen with mouths?   
“Now do you want to start talking now or wait for your… oh they’re here already.” Dick looked round to see Molly standing behind him with Brent. “Now about that missing girl.”


	2. Chapter 2

Dick stood watching Jason and Damian as they bickered loudly about something. The fight didn’t seem to be at risk of developing into a physical dispute so he felt no need to interfere. Looking around he watched as people entertained themselves with games and rides while they waited to be allowed into the circus tent. Now that it was filled with people the carnival seemed normal compared to the day before. But that feeling of unease still lingered in the air.   
“Dick. Is everything ok?” Dick looked down to see Barbara, with Cass’s help, had pushed her wheelchair over to him so they were side by side.  
“Yeah sure. Why wouldn’t it be?” Out of the corner of his eye he saw the two girls exchange glances. He searched the crowd for someone or something to distract them from questioning him further. That was when he saw Tim walking away from where he’d been standing with Steph and Duke, towards the three of them. “Hey Timmy, you ok?” Tim pulled his jacket closer round him, despite the warm July air, and smiled weakly.   
“Yeah I’m fine I guess.”   
“You guess?” Cass asked the concern clear in her voice.   
“Yeah I just. I don’t know I just feel. Sad.” he shrugged.   
“I guess I’m just having a low mood day today.” Dick frowned a little but said nothing. So that’s what the lingering feeling in the air was. Sure circus’s and carnivals always made him feel a little sad. But it was more of a nostalgic sadness. Like when you remember your favourite TV show from when you were little. But when you try to watch it again all you can find are short clips in such a bad quality it’s as if the characters are drowning in static. A sad echo of something that was so important to you. But this was different. It didn’t feel like his own sadness. But the echoed mourning of a faceless stranger. For a moment he considered saying something.   
“Hey they’re letting people in!” Steph called over. Dick shook the thought from his mind and headed towards the entrance of the tent with his friends and siblings.

 

***

 

Tim wandered out of the tent with the others focussing his eyes on the ground. While the others talked excitedly about the performance, even Damian had forgotten his usual high and mighty act, he remained silent. While he had seen circus shows before and enjoyed them, this show had been such a nauseating frenzy of light and colour he’d been forced to watch his feet for most of the show. The only part he'd really enjoyed was when a young girl not much older than him had danced in the air with only two long red ribbons to keep her up there. He had taken a photo though he hadn’t seen how it came out. Reaching into his pocket he went to pull his phone out only to find it was gone. Frowning he checked his other pocket. Nothing. He checked his jacket pockets but to no avail.   
“I think I dropped my phone.” he announced. “It’s probably still inside I’ll just go get it.” he turned to leave.   
“You’re not allowed back in after the show.” Barbara pointed out.   
“I know but I’m sure they won’t mind me looking for my phone. Look I’ll meet you by the food trucks in five. Just go on ahead.” The others all walked away as Tim slipped back inside the tent. He rushed to the place he had been sitting. Nothing.   
“Shit.” he hissed. Hopping it had been turned into the lost and found rather than stolen he headed to the exit. Tim stopped and frowned. The tunnel seemed longer than before. How? he thought. By now he realised he’s was shaking, and he could see his breath in the air. Wanting to leave as quickly as he could he began to run towards the exit. Only to find there was no exit but a solid tent wall. “What the hell?” he cried. Pushing on the fabric as if that would do him any good. Behind him he heard something like footsteps. Taking a deep breath he turned around to face whoever was approaching him. He froze. He would have screamed if the sound had not gotten lost in his throat.

 

***

 

“It’s been over 15 minutes.” Duke announced looking at his watch. “Maybe we should go and look for Tim.”   
“It does seem odd he hasn’t come over to tell us he still can’t find his phone.” Steph agreed. “If that’s what’s keeping him.” They cleaned up their table and headed to the tent.   
“Y’ can’t go back in there.” A worked called as they approached the tent. Cass smiled sweetly at the tall man unfazed by his glare.   
“Sorry. Our brother went in looking for his phone.” the man shook his head.   
“I ain’t seen no one. 'e’ll probably be at lost n found.” Dick thanked the man and headed to the lost and found tent. Inside was almost empty except for an elderly woman who was handing a small stick of candyfloss to a crying child.   
“There you go. Now eat that and by the time you’ve finished I’m sure your mommy or daddy will have come to pick you up.” she told the sobbing four year old. And a young man who stood behind a table sorting through a box of mismatched items. Dick approached the man.   
“Excuse me sir.” The man glanced up. Now he was closer Dick saw he had a tattoo of a noose around his neck. Dick frowned at this rather tasteless choice but said nothing. “My little brother lost his phone.”  
“A phone? Yeah I got one right here.” he reached into the box and pulled out a phone. “This it?” Dick nodded.   
“Yeah I think so. Can I just check the lock screen?” the man handed it over. Dick pressed a button and the phone lit up. A selfie Cass and Steph had taken appeared. “Yeah this is his. So he’s not been in here?” the guy shook his head.   
“Sorry man. I can ask if anyone else has seen him. What’s he look like?”  
“He’s 17. But he could pass for younger year old. Skinny. Pale face. Uh.. he’s wearing a red jacket.”  
“Name?”  
“Tim Drake.” the man pulled out his walkie talky and spoke into it. “We have a missing person’s report for a small pale teenager in a red jacket. Name’s Tim Drake. His brother’s looking for him.” One by one voices confirmed they had not seen the missing teen.   
“Well thanks for your help.” Dick put Tim’s phone in his pocket and left with everyone else.   
“Where the hell could that brat be?” Jason asked. If he’d made any attempt to hide the concern in his voice it hadn’t worked.   
“He didn’t look too good during the show.” Steph pointed out.   
“Maybe he left the carnival to get away from the crowds?” so they headed to the exit. But there was still no sign of him.   
“Ok we’ll split up and look for him. Jason and Cass you two head back to the food trucks. In case he’s waiting for us there. Steph, Duke and Barbara can check by the rides. Damian you can come with me we’ll check the side shows. And stay close I don’t want you out of my site.”  
“I’m not a child Richard.” Damian grumbled.   
“Neither is Tim.” Dick muttered. He wasn’t sure if the younger boy had heard but if he had he said nothing.   
“We’ll all meet here after we’ve looked.” The seven of them all headed in separate directions. Over an hour later when they returned there were still only seven of them.


	3. Chapter 3

Tim awoke in so much pain he could barely breath let alone move or speak. When he tried to open his eyes all he could see was blinding light above him. Beneath him he could feel something cold and metal.

  
‘Ah you’re awake.’ He recognised the ringmasters voice.

  
‘So you decided to break the rules. Never mind you’ll soon learn obedience working here. We just need to make sure you, fit in, first. But don’t worry my little demonic angel we’ll just put you back to sleep and when you wake up this will all be over and we can get right on to training you.’ Tim tried to fight through the pain, to think straight. But it was pointless, all he could do was lie there as someone stuck a needle in his arm and he fell unconscious once again.

***

It had been months since Tim had gone missing. Bruce had given him up for dead, if Batman couldn’t find him how could he still be alive? Dick was certain he was still alive, the irony of the situation was not lost on him. Or at least he wanted to believe because if Tim was dead then it was his fault. Jason and Cass had tried to find him themselves, Steph had screamed at Bruce when he gave Tim up for dead, even Duke who hadn’t known Tim as long as the others had asked Dick if there was anything he could do to help. But the worst moment in Dick’s eyes had been when he’d found Damian in Tim’s old room sat on his bed stroking Alfred the cat as Titus stared up at them. When Dick walked into the room Damian asked,

 ‘You will find him?’ Dick had just nodded.

***

Tim was awoken by the sound of someone hitting the metal bars of his cage. Still groggy and sore, sleeping on the floor will do that to you, he sat up and gazed bleary eyed at Dr Phebos.

  
‘Wakey wakey Angel. We need to update your treatment before the next show. Come.’ Tim got to his feet and walked over to him. Somewhere in the back of his mind a voice protested, screamed at him that he needed to get out, but he couldn’t think how to do that. Taking care not to knock his horns on the door to his cage he followed Dr Phebos out of the tent and across the field to wear the train sat. The walked to a carriage which was empty except for a chair and a TV screen which was flickering with a blue light.

‘You know what to do.’ Tim sat in the chair, slipping his wings through the gaps as he did, picked up the earphones and put them in.

‘Good boy.’ For an hour Tim sat there as he had many times before staring at the flickering screen as music played in his ears. As he sat there Dr Phebos sat watching him. How nice of him to stay with him while he had his treatment so he wouldn’t be lonely. He was such a wonderful man, taking in a creature like him. He’d been so lonely until he’d come along. When it was over Dr Phebos came over and pulled the earphones out. Tim looked at him and smiled.

‘Now Angel I’d like you to go to Miss Peire’s tent. She has a new costume for you to try on. And once you have it on come and find me, I want to see you in it. Tim nodded and left. He hopped Dr Phebos liked the way he looked in his new costume. all he wanted to do was please Dr Phebos, even if he had to die for him, even if he had to kill for him. If there were any thoughts of escaping left in his mind he couldn’t hear them.


End file.
